Contractor defends Marathon Oil seismic mapping plan to meeting of Sterling residents

by The Associated Press

Wells and other underground structures in Sterling should not be affected by Marathon Oil Co.’s plan to use dynamite and vibrating tools to seismically map the area, according to the contractor hired to do the job.

John Davis, operations manager for WesternGeco, discussed the project with concerned Sterling residents.

Similar work was done in Kenai in 1995 without any negative consequences to the environment, Davis told about 60 residents Sept. 26 at an informational meeting.

“You’ve got my word that if we screw up your well, we’re going to fix it,” he said.

Several residents asked what were the benefits of letting the mapping project take place and several said the $45 an acre being offered to use property for the project was unfair.

Davis said that if natural gas or oil is found beneath Sterling, the entire community will stand to benefit. He said such a discovery would create more jobs.

The proposed project will map roughly 36 square miles of land, primarily to the northwest confluence of the Kenai and Moose rivers.

According to WesternGeco, the company plans to have 2,271 source points that will transmit data through a series of 7,583 receiving points. That data will then be compiled and used to gain a better perspective of subsurface formations in the area, the Peninsula Clarion reported.

Underground dynamite will be used in outlying areas, while large vibrating machines will be used to shake the ground along the road system.

Davis said the dynamite charges would be small and unobtrusive to nearby residents. He said the company would not do any blasting within 300 feet of existing structures or wells.

“We’re not going to be shaking your house down,” Davis said.

He said the company would honor any residents not wanting to participate, but he added that a less accurate map of the area could result.

Surveying for the project is scheduled to being this week and completed by spring.